USPTO Patents Application 09922581

t

^ . Patent Application

S/N: 09/922,581

The Claims .

1 . (previously amended) A wall designed to resist lateral forces imposed on

a building incorporating said wall, said wall comprising:

a. an underlying structural component that is part of said building, and
5 a bottom plate resting on and connected to said underlying structural

component of said building;

b. a plurality of vertically-disposed studs resting on and connected to
said bottom plate;

c. a top plate resting on and connected to said vertically-disposed
1 0 studs;

d. a shear-resisting assembly connected to said top plate and also
connected to said underlying structural component and disposed
between said top plate and said underlying structural component, said
shear-resisting assembly including,

1 . a planar shear-resisting element, said planar shear-resisting
element having a proximal face and a distal face, a top edge, a
bottom edge and first and second side edges, said
shear-resisting assembly also including,

2. a top strut connected to said top edge of said shear-resisting
20 element, and disposed substantially parallel to said top plate of

said wall,

3. a bottom strut connected to said bottom edge of said
shear-resisting element,

4. a first chord connected to said first side edge of said
25 shear-resisting element, and

5. a second chord connected to said second side edge of said
shear-resisting element; and wherein

fasteners having a threaded shank portion are inserted through said
top strut of said shear-resisting assembly and into said top plate to
30 connect said shear resisting assembly to said top plate.

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)
35 5. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

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Patent Application
S/N: 09/922,581

1 7. (canceled)

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5 11. (canceled)

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10 16. (canceled)

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15 21. (canceled)

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20 26. (canceled)

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25 31. (canceled)

32. (canceled)

33. (canceled)

34. (canceled)

Is 3^ (previously added) The wall of claim 1, further comprising:
30 a. first and second anchor bolts that are anchored to said underlying

structural component;

b. first and second holdowns that receive and are connected to said
first and second anchor bolts, respectively, and are also connected to
said first and second chords, respectively.

35

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96 7 94 84 14*1

Patent Application
S/N: 09/922,581

3

1 3j6T (previously added) A wall designed to resist lateral forces imposed on a
building incorporating said wall, said wall comprising:

a. an underlying structural component that is part of said building, and
a bottom plate resting on and connected to said underlying structural

5 component of said building;

b. a plurality of vertically-disposed studs resting on and connected to
said bottom plate;

c. a top plate resting on and connected to said vertically-disposed
studs;

d. a shear-resisting assembly connected to said top plate and also
connected to said underlying structural component and disposed
between said top plate and said underlying structural component, said
shear-resisting assembly including,

1 . a planar shear-resisting element, said planar shear-resisting
element having a proximal face and a distal face, a top edge, a
bottom edge and first and second side edges, said
shear-resisting assembly also including,

2. a top strut connected to said top edge of said shear-resisting
element, and disposed substantially parallel to said top plate of
said wall,

3. a bottom strut connected to said bottom edge of said
shear-resisting element,

4. a first chord connected to said first side edge of said
shear-resisting element, and

5. a second chord connected to said second side edge of said
shear-resisting element; and wherein

said shear-resisting assembly rests directly on said underlying
structural component and said first and second chords of said
shear-resisting assembly rest directly on said underlying structural
component.

15

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25

30

37: (previously added) The wall of claim ^6, wherein:

said first and second chords are formed from wood.

35 3p. (previously added) The wall of claim 3 / j8C'further comprising:

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CL 9^7 9 4 8414'^ Patent Application
" - S/N: 09/922,581

a. first and second anchor bolts that are anchored to said underlying
structural component;

b. first and second holdowns that receive and are connected to said
first and second anchor bolts, respectively, and are also connected to
said first and second chords, respectively.

3£\ (previously added) The wall of claim further comprising:

a. first and second anchor bolts that are anchored to said underlying
structural component;
10 b. first and second holdowns that receive and are connected to said

first and second anchor bolts, respectively, and are also connected to
said first and second chords, respectively.

1

4p^ (previously added) A wall designed to resist lateral forces imposed on a
15 building incorporating said wall, said wall comprising:

a. an underlying structural component that is part of said building, and
a bottom plate resting on and connected to said underlying structural
component of said building;

b. a plurality of vertically-disposed studs resting on and connected to
20 said bottom plate;

c. a top plate resting on and connected to said vertically-disposed
studs;

d. a shear-resisting assembly connected to said top plate and also
connected to said underlying structural component and disposed

25 between said top plate and said underlying structural component, said

shear-resisting assembly including,

1 . a planar shear-resisting element, said planar shear-resisting
element having a proximal face and a distal face, a top edge, a
bottom edge and first and second side edges, said

30 shear-resisting assembly also including,

2. a top strut connected to said top edge of said shear-resisting
element, and disposed substantially parallel to said top plate of
said wall,

3. a bottom strut connected to said bottom edge of said
35 shear-resisting element,

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' ^ Z : Z * ^ S/N: 09/922,581

1 4. a first chord connected to said first side edge of said

shear-resisting element, and

5. a second chord connected to said second side edge of said

shear-resisting element; and wherein
5 said shear-resisting assembly rests directly on said underlying

structural component and said first and second chords of said
shear-resisting assembly rest on standoff plates resting directly on said
underlying structural component.

} s

10 44. (previously added) The wall of claim 40, wherein:

said first and second chords are formed from wood.

(previously added) The wall of claim 4j?f further comprising:

a. first and second anchor bolts that are anchored to said underlying
structural component;

b. first and second holdowns that receive and are connected to said
first and second anchor bolts, respectively, and are also connected to
said first and second chords, respectively.

? a

20 46. (previously added) The wall of claim 4Jr, further comprising:

a. first and second anchor bolts that are anchored to said underlying
structural component;

b. first and second holdowns that receive and are connected to said
first and second anchor bolts, respectively, and are also connected to

25 said first and second chords, respectively.

44. (previously added) A wall designed to resist lateral forces imposed on a
building incorporating said wall, said wall comprising:

a. an underlying structural component that is part of said building, and
30 a bottom plate resting on and connected to said underlying structural

component of said building;

b. a plurality of vertically-disposed studs resting on and connected to
said bottom plate;

c. a top plate resting on and connected to said vertically-disposed
35 studs;

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Patent Application

119 67 94 8.414- S/N: 09/922 , 581

1 d. a shear-resisting assembly connected to said top plate and also

connected to said underlying structural component and disposed
between said top plate and said underlying structural component, said
shear-resisting assembly including,
5 1 . a planar shear-resisting element, said planar shear-resisting

element having a proximal face and a distal face, a top edge, a
bottom edge and first and second side edges, said
shear-resisting assembly also including,

2. a top strut connected to said top edge of said shear-resisting
10 element, and disposed substantially parallel to said top plate of

said wall,

3. a bottom strut connected to said bottom edge of said
shear-resisting element,

4. a first chord connected to said first side edge of said
shear-resisting element, and

5. a second chord connected to said second side edge of said
shear-resisting element;

e. first and second anchor bolts that are anchored to said underlying
structural component;
20 f . first and second holdowns that receive and are connected to said

first and second anchor bolts, respectively, and are also connected to
said first and second chords, respectively, by fasteners having
threaded shank portions.

25 4o. (previously added) The wall of claim wherein:

said threaded fasteners are inserted only a selected distance into said
first and second chords without passing all the way through said first
and second chords.

30 4fif. (previously added) A wall designed to resist lateral forces imposed on a
building incorporating said wall, said wall comprising:

a. an underlying structural component that is part of said building, and

a bottom plate resting on and connected to said underlying structural

component of said building;
35 b. a plurality of vertically-disposed studs resting on and connected to

said bottom plate;

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Patent Application

It 9 67 94 8414^ S/N: 09/922,531

1 c. a top plate resting on and connected to said vertically-disposed

studs;

d. a shear-resisting assembly connected to said top plate and also
connected to said underlying structural component and disposed
5 between said top plate and said underlying structural component, said

shear-resisting assembly including,

1 . a planar shear-resisting element, said planar shear-resisting
element having a proximal face and a distal face, a top edge, a
bottom edge and first and second side edges, said

10 shear-resisting assembly also including,

2. a top strut connected to said top edge of said shear-resisting
element, and disposed substantially parallel to said top plate of
said wall,

3. a bottom strut connected to said bottom edge of said
1 5 shear-resisting element,

4. a first chord connected to said first side edge of said
shear-resisting element, and

5. a second chord connected to said second side edge of said
shear-resisting element; and wherein

20 said planar shear resisting element is made from wood and edge

fasteners having a shank portion connect said top strut, said bottom
strut, said first chord and said second chord to said shear-resisting
element, and boundary edging members disposed on said
shear-resisting element at said first and second side edges are pierced

25 by said shank portions of said edge fasteners and thereby strengthen

the connection made by said edge fasteners.

. (previously added) The wall of claim 40f wherein:

said boundary edging members are u-shaped channels, having a pair of
30 legs joined by a central member that embrace said shear-resisting

element, each of said edge fasteners passing through each of said legs
of said u-shaped channels.

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(previously added) The wall of claim 4^ further comprising:

35 a. first and second anchor bolts that are anchored to said underlying

structural component;

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Patent Application

a9679^}V S/N: 09/922,581

1 b. first and second holdowns that receive and are connected to said

first and second anchor bolts, respectively, and are also connected to
said first and second chords, respectively.

5 48. (previously added) The wall of claim 4/, further comprising:

a. first and second anchor bolts that are anchored to said underlying
structural component;

b. first and second holdowns that receive and are connected to said
first and second anchor bolts, respectively, and are also connected to

10 said first and second chords, respectively.

^O. (previously added) A wall designed to resist lateral forces imposed on a
building incorporating said wall, said wall comprising:

a. an underlying structural component that is part of said building, and
a bottom plate resting on and connected to said underlying structural
component of said building;

b. a plurality of vertically-disposed studs resting on and connected to
said bottom plate;

c. a top plate resting on and connected to said vertically-disposed
20 studs;

d. a shear-resisting assembly connected to said top plate and also
connected to said underlying structural component and disposed
between said top plate and said underlying structural component, said
shear-resisting assembly including,

25 1 . a planar shear-resisting element, said planar shear-resisting

element having a proximal face and a distal face, a top edge, a
bottom edge and first and second side edges, said
shear-resisting assembly also including,

2. a top strut connected to said top edge of said shear-resisting
30 element, and disposed substantially parallel to said top plate of

said wall,

3. a bottom strut connected to said bottom edge of said
shear-resisting element,

4. a first chord connected to said first side edge of said
35 shear-resisting element, and

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Patent Application
S/N: 09/922,581

5. a second chord connected to said second side edge of said

shear-resisting element; and wherein
said shear-resisting element comprises a plurality of adjoining
structural panels disposed in a single plane.

I* I T

/. (previously added) The wall of claim further comprising:
a. first and second anchor bolts that are anchored to said underlying
structural component;

b. first and second holdowns that receive and are connected to said
first and second anchor bolts, respectively, and are also connected to
said first and second chords, respectively.

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